Invigilating Cambridge exams 2022

A training presentation for exams officers to train invigilators

Presenter name
Job title Date
Contents slide

 Your role and responsibilities.

 Cambridge International’s key concepts.
 How to invigilate Cambridge exams.
Covid-19 pandemic

 This training relates to our usual regulations and guidance for administering
Cambridge exams. It does not include any changes to our processes which we
have made because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
 Your exams officer will keep you up to date with any information about delivering
our exams in your centre and provide you with any supplementary guidance we
may produce.
 You must follow our regulations and your local government arrangements on social
distancing when running exams. If you have any questions please ask your exams
officer.
Invigilator role and responsibilities
What is an invigilator?

 Invigilators are the people in the exam room responsible for the conduct of an
exam.
 You:
 make sure the exam follows our regulations so that candidates have the
opportunity to show what they know and can do
 keep the exam secure before, during and afterwards
 prevent and report suspected malpractice
 prevent administrative errors.
Why we need invigilators

 Invigilators are important for many reasons because:

 you give candidates a fair and consistent exam experience across the world
 you make sure exams are conducted the same way every time, regardless of
where or when they are happening
 you identify and prevent security breaches of exam material
 you stop administrative errors which have the potential to disadvantage
candidates.
Your responsibilities as an invigilator

 As an invigilator you must:

 understand the regulations in sections 4 and 5 of the Cambridge Handbook
 understand the Key Time and Full Centre Supervision regulations
 be familiar with the Notice to Candidates and Candidate Warning poster
 understand any specific regulations relating to the subjects being examined
 give your full attention to the conduct of the exam and move around the room
 tell the Head of Centre if you suspect malpractice
 follow any additional rules relating to social distancing during the Covid-19
pandemic.
Number of invigilators

Separate invigilation For candidates with specific needs in

a separate room: 1 invigilator
to 1 candidate
Practical tests including ICT tests and At least 1 invigilator to 20 candidates
science practicals Minimum of 2 invigilators even if under
20 candidates
At least one invigilator should be a
subject specialist
Full Centre Supervision  At least 1 supervisor to 30 candidates
All other exams (including Art & Design) At least 1 invigilator to 30 candidates
What you need in the exam room
What you need in the exam room
Differences between Cambridge International and JCQ exam boards

Cambridge International JCQ

 Five-minute warning
 Posters inside and outside the room
 Key Times
 Full Centre Supervision
 Keep empty question paper packets
 Separate inspections
 Five-minute warning allowed but not
required
 Posters outside the room
 Start times
 No Full Centre Supervision
 Do not keep empty question paper
packets
Cambridge International key
concepts
Who is who in an exam

Exams officer –
The person with specific responsibility for
administering Cambridge exams.

Invigilator
(sometimes known as supervisor) –
The person in the exam room
responsible for the conduct of
an exam.

Candidate –
The person who is
entered for an exam.
Candidates with access arrangements

 Extra time
 Scribe
 Human reader 
 Modified papers
 Word processor
 Prompter
 Practical assistant

 The exams officer and centre will tell you if there are any candidates using access
arrangements in an exam.
Key Times

 Key Times are a defined point in a timetabled session when candidates must be in
the exam or under Full Centre Supervision.
 Cambridge International specifies the Key Times.
 Our Key Times are based on our centre’s location.
 Key Times are important because they prevent confidential exam information being
shared:
 with our candidates before their exams, or
 by our candidates after their exams.
 Everyone involved in administering and conducting exams must understand and
correctly implement Key Times and Full Centre Supervision.
Full Centre Supervision
Candidates can:
 be kept under Full Centre Supervision
in the exam room or any other suitable
room
 have access to books and revision
notes during Full Centre Supervision
 talk to each other, as long as they do
not disturb other candidates.
Candidates must not:
 communicate with anyone who is not
under Full Centre Supervision or
anyone who has already sat the exam
 have access to any communication
device with or without access to the
internet.
Key Time scenario 1

Is Full Centre Supervision required in this scenario?

Key Time scenario 2

Is Full Centre Supervision required in this scenario?

Key Time scenario 3

Is Full Centre Supervision required in this scenario?

Dealing with the unexpected
 Late arrivals

 Late before the Key Time:

 You can decide to allow the candidate into the exam
 You do not need to tell the exams officer 

 Late after the Key Time:

 You can decide to allow the candidate into the exam
 Warn them Cambridge International may not accept their script
 Record the reason for being late, plus arrival, start and finish times
 Tell the exams officer 

 Late after the exam has finished:

 Do not allow the candidate to take the exam
 You do not need to tell the exams officer 
Emergency situations

 If there is an emergency during an exam, the safety of candidates and staff is the
most important thing.
 In an evacuation, if it is safe to do so:
 make sure all question papers and answer scripts are left in the exam room
 secure the exam room
 supervise candidates so they cannot communicate with anyone or access
information.
 Keep a record and report what has happened to the exams officer.
 Malpractice

 Malpractice is any action that breaks Cambridge regulations and potentially threatens the integrity
of their exams and certificates. Malpractice can happen before, during or after timetabled exams or
other assessments.

 Malpractice can be:

 intentional and aim to give an unfair advantage in an exam or assessment
 caused by people being careless, forgetful or unaware of the regulations
 beyond anyone's control and be a result of circumstance.

 A variety of individuals could be involved in malpractice, for example:

 candidates
 centre staff
 other people.
Malpractice
Special consideration

 Special consideration is a change we make to a candidate's mark after an exam.

This will be because something unexpected and adverse happened to the
candidate. 
 Circumstances can include:
 Illness
 Bereavement
 Temporary injury

 Talk to the exams officer if you think a candidate is eligible for special
consideration.
Before the exam
Centre-specific information

***Add appropriate information here***

Preparing the room
What is wrong with this exam room?
Candidates

 Before candidates enter:

 check the exam room is set up properly 
 check you have everything prepared.

 When candidates enter:

 remove all unauthorised materials and items 
 complete the attendance register 
 check the identity of the candidates.

 When candidates are seated:

 make sure they are sitting in the correct place
 make sure they have all the items they need.
Starting the exam

 Before opening exam papers, two invigilators must check:

 that the blue question paper packet is not damaged
 that they have the correct blue question paper packet 
 that the information in the transparent inner bag is correct. 

 When these checks have been completed you can open the transparent bag and
hand out the question papers. Contact the exams officer immediately if there are
any problems
 Read the instructions for starting the exam in the What to Say to Candidates in an
Exam document
 Tell candidates to write their name, candidate number and centre number on any
work they want to hand in
 Start the exam.
During the exam
During the exam

 Remain alert and move around to see all candidates.

 Do not try and complete other tasks while in the exam room.
 Look out for malpractice.
 Respond to requests to leave the room.
 Do not give advice to candidates on the content of the exam.
 Remove disruptive candidates.
 Maintain the required number of invigilators in the room.
 Call for help if necessary.
Calling for help

***Add centre-specific information here***

Candidates leaving the room

 Candidates are allowed to go to the washroom during the exam.

 An invigilator of the appropriate gender must accompany them.
 Invigilator numbers must be maintained in the exam room – call for extra support if necessary.

 A candidate can choose to finish the exam early and not return.
 Collect all exam material from them before they leave.
 Keep candidates under Full Centre Supervision if the Key Time has not passed.
Ending the exam

 Give candidates a five-minute warning before the end of the exam – find the script
in the What to Say to Candidates in an Exam document.

 At the end of the exam read the ‘Finishing the examination’ section of the What to
Say to Candidates in an Exam document.
At the end of the exam
At the end of the exam

 Collect the answer scripts and question papers, and check they are all accounted
for.
 If the Key Time has passed allow candidates to leave.
 If the Key Time has not passed keep candidates under Full Centre Supervision.
 Make sure candidates do not disturb other candidates still taking exams.
 Candidates must not remove any question papers or question paper content from
the exam room.
Sorting and packing scripts

 Sort the scripts into the order shown on the attendance register.

 Do not leave scripts unattended at any time.

 Do not read or allow anyone else to read any of the scripts.

 Collect any unused stationery or equipment.

 Hand the scripts and attendance registers to the exams officer immediately for
despatch.
Reporting to the exams officer

***Add centre-specific information here***

Any questions?
Thank you for listening

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